


we were born to offer our love

by AwkwardPotatoChild



Category: Leverage
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Multi, Nightmares, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardPotatoChild/pseuds/AwkwardPotatoChild
Summary: “Archie’s daughter called me and asked to meet up.”“Oh, yeah? How's he been?”“He’s dead.”
Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer
Comments: 12
Kudos: 66
Collections: 2020 Leverage Secret Santa Exchange





	we were born to offer our love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DelektorskiChick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelektorskiChick/gifts).



> Written as a gift for DelektorskiChick as part of the Leverage Secret Santa Exchange!
> 
> You asked for angst with a happy ending and, well, there certainly is angst here.  
> Hope it's not too angsty, though, and that the ending makes up for it. Enjoy!
> 
> The title and inspiration come from the song Family ~ひとつになること~ by KinKi Kids, and the translated lyrics can be found [here](https://www.jpopasia.com/kinkikids/lyrics/71611/k-album/family-%E3%80%9C%E3%81%B2%E3%81%A8%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8-family-hitotsu-ni-narukoto/).
> 
>  **EDIT:** Originally posted December 29, 2020 and revealed January 14,2021

Eliot hummed to himself as he moved around the kitchen. Things were quiet for once as he put the final touches on dinner. He frowned, though, when he glanced at his phone and noticed the time, seeing no notifications from Parker. She had left a little while ago without telling him anything and while he knew she could take care of herself, it didn’t stop him from worrying about her or Hardison any less. Right on cue, Hardison emerged from his room, dancing as he did so. Eliot rolled his eyes and snorted.

“Glad to see you’re out of your nerd cave,” he said when Hardison came around to give him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Hardison huffed. “First off, it’s a Bat Cave.” Eliot rolled his eyes again. “And second, I was spending my time saving your ass by clearing those cameras. So you’re welcome!” He gave Eliot another kiss and went to set the table. “Where’s Parker, by the way?”

“Dunno. She got a phone call earlier and just left. I’m sure she’s fine.”

At that, the front door opened and Parker came bounding in. “Hey, guys,” she said as she came over to greet them. They smiled and watched as she sat down at the table, waiting for dinner to be served.

“Hey. What have you been up to?” Eliot asked as he brought over the food, placing it in the center.

“Archie’s daughter called me and asked to meet up.”

“Oh, yeah? How's he been?” asked Hardison.

“He’s dead.”

Eliot and Hardison froze, brows furrowed as they shared a concerned look. They turned back towards Parker, but she appeared to be her usual self as she served herself some mashed potatoes, which only worried them even more.

Hardison spoke first. “Umm...what?”

“Parker, did you just say Archie’s dead?”

She nodded, adding some green beans to her plate. “Yeah, that’s why his daughter called me,” she explained. “She wanted to give me the news in person.”

“And...are you okay?” Hardison asked carefully.

“Yeah. Why?”

Parker looked up at Eliot and Hardison, smiling brightly. She truly seemed unperturbed by the news that was just dropped on her, but the two of them knew her better than that as they both gave her tense smiles. Hardison shook his head and Parker shrugged, turning her attention back to dinner. Eliot and Hardison, on the other hand, shared another wide-eyed look.

“Alec, would you help me with something in the kitchen?” Eliot asked.

“Yup!” Hardison answered quickly, already walking. “On my way!”

Once there, the two of them pretended to busy themselves with the rest of dinner as they spoke in hushed tones, occasionally glancing back at Parker for any signs of change. Like before, she appeared the way she always did, which only caused them to frown even more.

“Do you think she’s okay?” asked Hardison.

Eliot shook his head. “No. Absolutely not,” he answered. He sighed and glanced back towards her for a second to make sure she was alright. “But I think she needs some time to process it, though.”

“Yeah, same,” Hardison said as he moved the freshly baked rolls off the cooling rack and into the bread basket. “I mean, Archie was her dad. That can’t be easy to deal with and I’m worried.”

“Yeah, me too, but Parker’ll be okay. She’s got us, after all, and we’ll be there when she does inevitably crash.”

“Doesn’t mean I wanna see it happen, though,” Hardison mumbed, sharing another look with Eliot. Matching frowns and furrowed brows were on both of their faces.

“I know. But like I said, she’s got us. We might not be able to make it completely better, but we can at least help.”

Hardison gave a reluctant nod before forcing a smile on his face and leaving the kitchen. Eliot followed closely behind with the rest of their dinner to where Parker was waiting, still smiling as if nothing was wrong.

The rest of the night carried on the way it normally did. They ate dinner and chatted idly, joking around and teasing each other. Eliot would move to clean up, pretending to complain while knowing that Hardison and Parker would jump in to do it instead since he always cooked for them. They would then migrate into the living room, cuddled together on the couch as they bickered over what movie to watch, before Parker and Hardison fell asleep first, leaving Eliot to carry them into their bedroom, where he would watch over them until he fell asleep himself.

But that night, while the routine was the same, the tension was not. All night, Eliot and Hardison shared glances with each other as they watched Parker carefully, observing her reaction for any sign of the impending breakdown she would have, and their anxiety only grew as the night went on until they were all in bed. Normally one to fall asleep quickly, Hardison stayed awake until Eliot assured him he’d still be up and for a moment, they truly wanted to believe that Parker would be alright that night and that come morning, they’d be able to talk about it.

But instead, it came at 3 in the morning.

The scream that awoke Hardison and sent Eliot’s heart racing was the worst sound they had ever heard. Parker’s pain stained every note of it and it echoed loudly within their ears, suffocating all of them as it weighed heavy on their hearts. They felt her hands reaching and grabbing for them, nails digging harshly into them and no doubt leaving marks in the morning, but it was nothing compared to the anguish they were all feeling. The scream soon came to an end, but was quickly replaced by strangled cries as Parker struggled to keep them down. It wasn’t the first time they had heard her cry, but this one felt like their hearts were being ripped out of their chests, even worse than the other times, and the two of them gulped, struggling to keep their own tears at bay.

It was Eliot who snapped out of their stupor first, giving Hardison’s shoulder a shake and nodding for him to go and get Parker some water. Hardison was up in a flash after they carefully removed Parker’s hands from his arm. At the loss, she looked around wildly before finding Bunny and hugging it to her chest. She began to shake, breathing erratic and panicked as she continued to cry. Eliot carefully touched her shoulder, watching her reaction, but she gave no adverse reaction to it. He gave a small squeeze next and when she didn’t recoil once more, he reached over and placed his hand over her’s.

“Parker,” Eliot said gently. “Parker, hey, it’s me. It’s Eliot.” She glanced up at him briefly and he gave her a small smile. “You’re currently at home with me and Alec. We are in bed, it is 3:28 AM, and you are safe. Okay? You don’t have to say anything, but nod for me, if you understand, Parker.”

Parker nodded hurriedly. “I- I- Archie- He’s-”

“It’s okay. You don’t gotta say anything yet. We’ve got time. Take a deep breath first and let’s get you calmed down, alright? I’ve got you. Breathe in for four counts, hold for seven, and out for eight. I’ll count ‘em out and do ‘em with you, alright?”

Parker gave another nod and took in a deep breath like Eliot asked. Like he said, he did them with her, counting out each number steadily for her to follow. He could feel her hands not shaking as much and he relaxed upon realizing she was calming down. Hardison returned then with more than just a glass of water. In his other hand, he had a mug, both of which he set on the bedside table, and Eliot looked over to see the mug was filled with hot chocolate. He smiled at Hardison’s sweet gesture and mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him as he sat down and joined them on the bed, placing a steady hand on Parker’s shoulder. They remained steadfast by her side until her shaking subsided. They felt her relax, letting out a heavy breath.

“Archie’s dead,” she croaked. “He’s dead.”

Eliot and Hardison said nothing, letting Parker speak at her own pace.

“I just saw him last week, but now he’s gone. He’s really gone and I’m never gonna see him again.” She looked up at them with watery eyes. They instinctively moved to be beside her, wrapping her up in their arms, so she was in the center. “I- I don’t understand,” Parker continued, nose scrunched up. “I didn’t feel like this when my actual dad died. Why am I like this now?”

Hardison sighed and turned to kiss the top of her head. “Because Archie was your family, Parker,” he explained. “He wasn’t actually related to you, but he was still your family. He took care of you and he loved you, and you loved him too. That’s why it hurts so much now.”

“But now, he’s gone,” she said. “Archie’s gone and I’m alone again.”

Parker turned and buried her face into Hardison’s neck to cry, hands gripping Bunny even tighter. Hardison instinctively turned and reached up to pat her head, while Eliot moved so he could wrap his arm around the both of them, the other hand rubbing circles on Parker’s arm with his thumb.

“Parker, I’m sorry that Archie’s gone. I know how much he meant to you and I know it hurts losing someone you love. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you before,” Hardison said softly, “but this time, you’re not alone. You’ve got me and Eliot and Sophie and Nate, and just like Archie, we’re your family too. You’ve got us to take care of you too. I know you’re hurting now, but you’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna make sure you’re okay.”

“But what if I’m not?”

“You will be.”

It was Eliot that spoke up this time. Parker glanced up from where her face was hiding and he gave her a soft smile. Not one for too many words, Eliot didn’t further explain, but he and Parker always understood each other in this regard and she knew what he said was a promise. She felt herself want to cry again and turned away once more, but this time out of overwhelming happiness and not sorrow, as she understood the extent of their love. Hardison pulled Parker in tighter and felt Eliot do the same. Aside from a few slowly dying sniffles, Parker didn’t say anything, but he felt her nodding against his neck. They sat there in silence, simply revelling in each other’s presence as they waited for Parker’s crying to subside.

Reaching over, Hardison moved to grab the glass of water he had gotten earlier, but stopped when he felt tugging on his arm. He looked over to see Parker shaking her head, pouting, and then pointed to the mug instead. While Eliot rolled his eyes and gave a knowing smile, Hardison obliged. He chuckled when Parker snatched it from him and inhaled deeply before taking a huge gulp, nearly choking if it weren’t for Eliot stopping her, but even then, she carried on.

It didn’t take long for Parker to finish her mug of hot chocolate. Hardison moved to go and place it in the kitchen, but she stopped him before he could and he placed the mug on the bedside table. With one hand on his arm and the other on Eliot’s, she pulled them back until they were laying down, all snuggled together like they were before, the heavy weight from before having dissipated. It was quiet once more as they got situated in bed, relaxing into each other, when Parker spoke up softly.

“Hey.” Eliot and Hardison looked down at Parker wedged between the two of them. “Thanks.” She snuggled further into them. “I’m glad you’re my family.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
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